ferment

American  

[fur-ment, fer-ment] / ˈfɜr mɛnt, fərˈmɛnt /

noun

1. Also called organized ferment.  any of a group of living organisms, as yeasts, molds, and certain bacteria, that cause fermentation.

2. Also called unorganized ferment.  an enzyme.

3. fermentation.

4. agitation; unrest; excitement; commotion; tumult.

   The new painters worked in a creative ferment.

   The capital lived in a political ferment.

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verb (used with object)

• ferments,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fermented,
  past participle,  past
• fermenting
  present participle

1. to act upon as a ferment.

2. to cause to undergo fermentation.

3. to inflame; foment.

   to ferment prejudiced crowds to riot.

4. to cause agitation or excitement in.

   Reading fermented his active imagination.

verb (used without object)

• ferments,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fermented,
  past participle,  past
• fermenting
  present participle

1. to be fermented; undergo fermentation.

2. to seethe with agitation or excitement.

ferment British  

noun

1. any agent or substance, such as a bacterium, mould, yeast, or enzyme, that causes fermentation

2. another word for fermentation

3. commotion; unrest

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verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo fermentation

2. to stir up or seethe with excitement

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fermentability
  noun
• fermenter
  noun
• nonfermentability
  noun
• fermentable
  adjective
• nonfermentable
  adjective
• nonfermented
  adjective
• nonfermenting
  adjective
• unfermentable
  adjective
• unfermented
  adjective
• unfermenting
  adjective
• well-fermented
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• fermenting
  present
• fermented
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• ferment
  simple
• ferments
  simple
• have fermented
  perfect
• has fermented
  perfect
• am fermenting
  progressive
• are fermenting
  progressive
• is fermenting
  progressive
• have been fermenting
  perfect progressive
• has been fermenting
  perfect progressive

Past

• fermented
  simple
• had fermented
  perfect
• was fermenting
  progressive
• were fermenting
  progressive
• had been fermenting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will ferment
  simple
• will have fermented
  perfect
• will be fermenting
  progressive
• will have been fermenting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of ferment

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin fermentum “yeast” (noun), fermentāre “to cause to rise” (verb), equivalent to fer(vēre) “to boil” + -mentum -ment ( def. ); cf. fervent

Explanation

The word ferment means a commotion or excitement. Consider that the fermentation that turns juice or grain into alcohol is the result of the agitated development of bacteria, and then you can better appreciate the word's meaning. While you might be more familiar with the verb ferment, referring to the natural process that produces alcohol, the word is also used as a noun, giving the same type of boiling emotion to people or events. If you keep in mind that the root of the word is fevere, meaning "to boil or seethe," you get a vivid picture of the ferment experienced at a political rally where tempers run high.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ferment ferments fermented fermenting

"Any transport delay can risk ruining the batch. If it takes longer than 24 hours, the internal sugars begin to rot and ferment unpredictably, destroying the delicate flavour profile needed for premium spirits," says Dhariwal.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

With the help of large handheld food mixers, they carefully grind the mixture of dried Californian grapes and water, which they then ferment before distilling it in a large still imported from Germany.

From Barron's ● May 2, 2026

Producers roast the rounded hearts of agave plants in fire pits or kilns, then crush and ferment the cooked material before distilling it in smaller batches.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 26, 2026

For that sugar to then ferment and produce alcohol, the person giving the sample would also need to have a yeast infection, she wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026

Back in 1972 Crosby invented a term for this biological ferment: the Columbian Exchange.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Soon, this liquid ferments into a tangy beverage with a touch of viscosity, somewhat like Mexico’s pulque.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Kombucha is made when a SCOBY, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, ferments sweetened tea.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

Using an assembler in Germany, it takes grape juice, ferments it with bacteria which does not produce alcohol, and adds Chinese green tea to offer complexity and tannins.

From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026

That’s because the brewing process can be especially complicated for low- or no-alcohol ferments, which has made it difficult to brew high-quality, low-alcohol beer that tastes good.

From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2024

Many are armed, and a bad feeling ferments in the pit of my stomach.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Kennedy and several other Cabinet members have reportedly embraced versions of the plan, which emphasizes grass-fed meat and fermented foods while eliminating alcohol and sugary foods.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

In its defence the restaurant owner argued that just 60% of diners had opted to try the ants, while the rest were served alternatives like fermented vinegar and edible flowers.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

On a sidewalk in a middle-class neighborhood of Colima city, the Bejarano family is selling tuba, a refreshing fermented drink made from the fresh, sweet sap of the coconut palm tree.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Kombucha has surged in popularity worldwide in recent years, becoming one of the most widely consumed fermented drinks.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

Some of the fermented starch is used to make plastic.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Food security master's student Maha Khan created the chocolate bar by harvesting, fermenting and processing the Reading-grown cocoa.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

At his factory west of Tokyo, workers in hygienic uniforms wash, steam -- and lavishly spray bacteria on -- soybeans that machines then meticulously assemble in cups, before fermenting them for 18 hours.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

He’s one of the last brewers to use an ancient method of fermenting in wooden vats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

Even so, this steady, low-level intake of ethanol implies that the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees, our closest living relatives among the apes, probably encountered alcohol every day from fermenting fruit.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 1, 2025

The stench of fermenting fruit made him dizzy.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• commotion
• disquiet
• excitement
• frenzy
• restlessness
• tumult
• turbulence
• unrest
• upheaval
• uproar